Decorative bow

ABSTRACT

The disclosure describes three embodiments of a ribbon bow suitable for mass production use in decorating packages and other articles. In the illustrated embodiments, the bow comprises one or more ribbons containing structural deformations such as transverse scored lines at spaced-apart intervals, a lace, and means for securing the lace to the ribbons so that the ribbons can be pulled up along the lace to form the bights of ribbon bows. A number of alternative lacing structures, structural deformations and means for securing the lace to the ribbons are described.

United States Patent 1111 3,632,464

[72] Inventor RaimondsGrlkls [56] ReIerenoesClted 21 A IN gfifg UNITED STATES PATENTS f a 26 1970 2,849,821 9/1958 Doig l6l/l0 [45] Patented 2,886,912 5/1959 Rowland l6l/l0 9 [73] Assignee CPS Industries,lnc. Primary Examiner-John T. Goolkasian Pittsburgh, Pa. Assistant Examiner-Henry F. Epstein Continuation of application Ser. No. Attorney-Louis Bemat 607,708, Jan. 6, 1967, now abandoned. This application Mar. 26, 1970, Ser. No.

20,477 ABSTRACT: The disclosure describes three embodiments of a ribbon bow suitable for mass production use in decorating packages and other articles. [54] DECORATIVE BOW In the illustrated embodiments, the bow comprises one or 4 Cl i 6 Drawing Figs. more ribbons containing structural deformations such as [52] U s 161/9 transverse scored lines at spaced-apart intervals, a lace, and 161/149 means for securing the lace to the ribbons so that the ribbons 51 1111. C1. 004d 7/10, a be Pulled almg high ws. 50] Field of Search 27 2 4 A numb" alcmaive lacing 28/2. 93/1 112/410 41 l32/47 156/91 204 mations and means for securing the lace to the ribbons are 209, 226, 227, 469; 223/46; 161/9, 10, 21, 2s, 50, desmbed' 50 Z g so 201g, 1

DECORATIVE BOW This is a continuation of Ser. No. 607,708 filed Jan. 6, 1967 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a decorative bow for gift wrapping or other decorative purposes.

High-volume users of decorative bows, such as department stores and packaging manufacturers, previously have been supplied with decorative bows which have been completed in their final form. Completed bows are, in general, unsatisfactory because they cannot be densely packaged, they are difficult to handle, and they are easily damaged.

An ideal bow for a high-volume user should be one which can be conveniently stored in a compact container without damage and which can be attached to the article to be decorated either by hand or machine with a minimum expenditure of time and additional materials. Preferably, such bows should be prefabricated; that is, they should be assembled but not completed in their final form.

In the past, it was not practical to manufacture prefabricated bows for high-volume users as no convenient and economical means for completing the bows in their final form have been found.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a prefabricated decorative ribbon which can be stored conveniently in small, densely packaged containers, which can be completed at the point of use, either manually or with simple automated devices, and which requires no additional components for securing it to the article to be decorated.

This and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent in the following description of of several preferred embodiments in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a prefabricated ribbon being unspooled from a storage reel prior to its completion;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a completed ribbon fabricated from the materials shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the ribbon shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of a second embodiment of the invention having cutout portions forming the structural deformations;

FIG. 5 is a view of a third embodiment of the invention having integral tabs for securing the lace to the ribbon; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the ribbons shown in FIG. 5 and identified by the legend See FIG. 6.

A view of a length of a prefabricated ribbon bow 10 being unspooled from a reel 12 prior to completion as a finished bow is shown in FIG. I. Views of the completed bow are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this first embodiment, chosen because its simple structure facilitates the disclosure of the invention, the bow comprises two ribbons l4 and 16 having different colors so that an attractive visual effect is produced. The ribbons l4 and 16 are structural deformed at regular intervals 20 by lines 22 scored across the surface of the ribbon in a direction transverse or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ribbons. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, perpendicular scored lines are used to obtain a bow having bights 24 which are aligned in a linear array. When transverse score lines are used, the bights 24 will fan out on either side of the longitudinal axis or form a curve or other decorative arrangement.

Secured to the ribbons l4 and 16, is a lace 26 which, preferably, is another length of ribbon, generally narrower than the ribbons 14 and 16, having a decorative color or pattern. The lace 26 is not structurally deformed. It is secured to the ribbons l4 and 16 by a series of staples 30 crimped to the ribbons l4 and 16. The lace 26 passes between the ribbon l6 and the crown of the staple 30. The staple is chosen and affixed to the ribbons l4 and 16 so that the lace may freely slide between them.

In order to obtain a completed bow, a length of prefabricated ribbon bow 10 is cut from the reel 12, a staple 32 or other securing means is secured to one end of the ribbons l4 and 16 and the lace 26 to prevent relative movement between the ribbons and the lace, the free ends of the ribbons l4 and 16 are pushed forward on the lace 26 toward the ends secured by the staple 32 until a bow of the desired appearance is obtained, and then a staple 34 is crimped to the ribbons l4 and 16 and the lace 26 to complete the assembly as shown in FIG. 2 and 3.

In this embodiment, the lace has been described as an ordinary decorative ribbon. It can, however, serve additional functions. Because the lace is longer than the completed bow it can be used to secure the bow to the article being decorated. Thus the completed ribbon can be tied to a package with the lace or the lace can be coated with a-suitable adhesive for holding it'to a package. Notice that the additional reinforcing members such as cardboard or paper strips which form a necessary part of the prior art bows are eliminated by the bows of this invention. A thin planer strip of cardboard or paper may be substituted for the lace when it is necessary to make the bow of this invention compatible with machines designed to handle prior art bows.

In addition to an adhesive coating on its outer surface for securing the bow to another article, the lace may have an adhesive coating on its inner surface for securing the free ends of the ribbons l4 and 16 to the lace 26. This adhesive may take the form of a water-activated adhesive such as polyvinyl alcohol which is used as the binder in weftless ribbon. In this case either the ribbons of the lace may be moistened, as by licking, to secure the free ends of the ribbons l4 and I6. The lace may also be made of elastic or creped material to aid in the process of securing the bow to another article by stretching the lace so that it becomes substantially longer than the completed bow.

A large number of variations of the illustrated structures of this invention are possible. Although illustrated with two ribbons l4 and 16, appealing bows can be made with only one ribbon or with several ribbons. The bows can be made to take random shapes by changing the structural deformations which appear at the intervals 20, which need not be regularly spaced. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, deformations in the form of cutout portions 40 of the ribbon may be used instead of or in addition to scored lines and rings 42 may be used instead of staples to achieve flowerlike bows.

Where staples and rings are not desired, integral tabs 44 may be cut into the ribbon 16 to secure the lace as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Tabs can also be secured to the lace with suitable adhesives.

What is claimed is:

1. A decorative bow comprising:

a. a stacked plurality of decorative ribbons in face-to-face relationship, all but one of said ribbons being deformed at spaced-apart intervals by scored lines transverse to the longitudinal axes of the ribbons;

said one of said ribbons forming a lace comprising another length of decorative ribbon which is narrower in width than any of the other ribbons in said stack of ribbons, said lace being located on one side of said stack of ribbons, said lace including adhesive binder which may be wetted to secure the lace to an article to be decorated;

. securing means for slidingly securing the stack of ribbons to the lace, said securing means being attached to said scored ribbons at the score lines, said securing means being afiixed to the scored ribbons in a manner which enables the lace to pass between the securing means and the adjacent of one of the scored ribbons; and

. attaching means located at one end of the bow to secure the ribbons and the lace together and prevent relative movement between the ribbons and the lace, said scored ribbons coming together to form bights of ribbons which fan out when said lace is pulled relative to said scored ribbons.

2. The decorative bow of claim I wherein said securing means comprises a plurality of wire staples passing through each of said scored ribbons, said lace passing under the crown of said staple, and said staple being crimped on the side of said stack of ribbons which is opposite to the side having said lace.

3. The decorative bow of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a ring attached to said scored ribbons at said deformed intervals, said lace passing through said rings.

4. The decorative bow of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a plurality of tabs formed in said scored ribbons with said lace passing under said tabs. 

1. A decorative bow comprising: a. a stacked plurality of decorative ribbons in face-to-face relationship, all but one of said ribbons being deformed at spaced-apart intervals by scored lines transverse to the longitudinal axes of the ribbons; b. said one of said ribbons forming a lacE comprising another length of decorative ribbon which is narrower in width than any of the other ribbons in said stack of ribbons, said lace being located on one side of said stack of ribbons, said lace including adhesive binder which may be wetted to secure the lace to an article to be decorated; c. securing means for slidingly securing the stack of ribbons to the lace, said securing means being attached to said scored ribbons at the score lines, said securing means being affixed to the scored ribbons in a manner which enables the lace to pass between the securing means and the adjacent one of the scored ribbons; and d. attaching means located at one end of the bow to secure the ribbons and the lace together and prevent relative movement between the ribbons and the lace, said scored ribbons coming together to form bights of ribbons which fan out when said lace is pulled relative to said scored ribbons.
 2. The decorative bow of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a plurality of wire staples passing through each of said scored ribbons, said lace passing under the crown of said staple, and said staple being crimped on the side of said stack of ribbons which is opposite to the side having said lace.
 3. The decorative bow of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a ring attached to said scored ribbons at said deformed intervals, said lace passing through said rings.
 4. The decorative bow of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a plurality of tabs formed in said scored ribbons with said lace passing under said tabs. 